


Savior Investigations

by cheshire6845



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Thrall - Freeform, Vampires, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-21
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:07:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 17,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27944288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheshire6845/pseuds/cheshire6845
Summary: When successful lawyer Regina Mills abruptly goes “off-grid”, Savior Investigations is hired to find her. Emma Swan finds her easily enough, but she also finds that Regina is living with vampires and is in more danger than she could possibly know.
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Emma Swan
Comments: 48
Kudos: 98
Collections: Swan Queen Advent Calendar Collection 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Anyone in the mood for something not holiday themed? This is what my muse cooperated with.
> 
> There is a Gideon in this story has nothing to do with the show Gideon. I just liked the name and was using it before I remembered the show actually had a Gideon. 
> 
> This is a vampire story so there are lots of references to blood. If that's going to bother you, might be best to skip this one. There are references and discussions about non-consensual acts but none are graphically depicted.
> 
> Thanks to the SQ Advent mods for putting this together.

While not normally an early morning person, Emma Swan truly appreciated catching waves at the break of dawn. It had been years since she’d been properly surfing, but she knew her way around the waves. Even if she had to take a couple of headers and dives to sell her story convincingly.

Slicking her hair back, she trudged out of the water after an hour, board tucked under her arm. She rolled her neck back and forth, cracking it before planting her board in the sand. There were only a few other people out this early and she watched them ride as the sun rose higher.

She plopped down on the sand, a bit different than how she usually handled business, but sometimes a hunter had to wait for their prey to come to them. And one of the three remaining surfers out on the waves was the woman she’d been searching for. She’d sent her employer a text when she’d observed the beach the previous morning and spotted her target. It had taken her just over a month, but today she would finally make contact. Today she would meet the elusive Regina Mills.

Head pounding, Emma laid back in the sand, closing her eyes and thinking over all the details she’d learned during her investigation. Regina Mills, age 30, father deceased, disowned by her mother, and had one estranged sister that lived in Europe somewhere. Graduated law school with honors, successful career started before abruptly leaving New York for the West Coast surf scene. According to a few personal emails before she cut off contact, she was loving life and moved in with two guys she’d just met. When she eventually resurfaced, instead of pursuing a career in criminal justice, Regina was managing a bar down on the beach.

On a personal level, it didn’t sound like the worst turn in life, but Emma had been assured this was abnormal behavior for Regina. The surfing was the only constant, and Regina was a goddess out on the waves. Emma considered it a perk of the job to watch her; the only problem she had was that her employer warned her off any romantic entanglements with Regina. More’s the pity.

Emma heard the approach before a shadow fell over her; she waited a beat before slowly cracking open her eyes. She shielded her face with one hand as she peered up at the woman standing over her. “Hi.”

“You okay?” Regina Mills asked as she planted her board in the sand. “I saw you take a pretty nasty header out there.”

She’d noticed her; Emma sat up. “Got rocked a little bit,” she admitted. “Guess I’m a bit rustier than I realized.”

“Rusty, huh?” Regina grinned. “I didn’t think I’d seen you around here before.” She looked around at the quiet beach. “Not too many people know about this spot.”

“Yeah, a friend of a friend,” Emma said vaguely then changed the subject. “You were doing some nice carving out there.”

“You were watching me?”

A little paranoia wasn’t unexpected. It was why Emma’s employer had sought out a female investigator instead of a man to find Regina. She shrugged and looked out towards the water. “You’re good. I always appreciate athleticism when I see it.” She half pointed out to the water. “The guy on the left…not so good. Definitely a Barney.”

Regina glanced out at the surfers bobbing on their boards. She huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, he’s been coming out for a week or so now.” She looked down at the blonde and confided, “He’s not getting any better.”

The blonde got to her feet and offered her hand. “Emma Swan.”

A brief hesitation then, “Regina.” No last name given. She shook her hand briefly. “Are you new in town, Ms Swan?”

She hadn’t been expecting the more formal address but found she liked it. “Brand new.”

“Business or pleasure.”

“Business, but I’ve got time for pleasure.”

“You’re cute.” Regina retrieved her board. “If you like a nice rum drink, you should come down to Dominic’s tonight.”

According to Emma’s research, that was the bar where Regina worked and the name of one of the guys she was living with. “Is that a bar or someone’s house?”

“Both.” Regina smirked and began walking back towards the water.

“What if I don’t like rum?” Emma called after her.

Regina spun, walking backwards with her feet already in the surf. “Then I’ll serve you a real mean tequila.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“I’m actually more of a beer girl,” Emma said when a fruity looking concoction with a paper umbrella sticking out of it appeared in front of her.

“Just try it.”

Emma swallowed thickly as she eyed the orange beverage. Maybe if she stared at the drink, she wouldn’t get caught ogling the brunette behind the bar. When she’d taken the case, all of the pictures provided of Regina had been fairly formal portraits, and lawyer-Regina seemed to enjoy dressing in designer suits with sky-high heels. And while classically gorgeous, lawyer-Regina was not at all Emma’s type. Then she had found Regina at the beach in a wetsuit with slick backed hair and Emma had wondered what she’d done to deserve such torture. Now, sitting at the bar, she knew she was in hell.

Regina wore ripped jeans that were so tight they had to have been painted on and a black t-shirt with CBGB written in bold white letters; oh, and the shirt was sleeveless, showing off deeply tanned, perfectly sculpted arms. Knowing she looked good, Regina tapped the top of the bar near the rum drink as she passed, “Don’t insult me.” She walked off, snapping the tops off of two beer bottles before handing them over to customers.

Resigned to her fate, Emma sniffed the drink first then gave it a sip. It was good, not too sweet, and deceptively smooth. She took another tentative drink, not because she wanted to but because she didn’t want to alienate herself from the bar or Regina. When Regina wandered back over to her end of the bar, Emma had muscled down about half the glass.

“You like that, huh?” Regina asked.

“That,” Emma pointed at it unnecessarily, “definitely has more than one rum in it.”

Regina held up three fingers. She leaned closer to the blonde. “But only the first one. The alcohol content decreases dramatically after two and no one ever notices.”

Emma chuckled at the way Regina’s entire face scrunched up in an effort to wink. “But I bet the price stays the same.”

She gave a not-so-innocent shrug, swiped the glass away, and served Emma a beer. Emma happily accepted it. “I thought you were going to hit me with a tequila next.”

“Maybe later,” she smirked and headed off again to serve other customers.

Emma stayed for a few hours, drinking a couple of beers, eating a pretty decent burger, and bantering with Regina whenever she managed a minute or two. As the game on the big screen ended and the crowds began to wind down for the night, Regina pointed out a back table and Emma moved herself and her drink to it. Regina joined a few minutes later with a pitcher of water and two glasses.

Emma laughed, “No tequila?”

“Not if I want to catch the waves tomorrow morning,” Regina said, filling both glasses when Emma happily set her half-finished beer to the side. “Not as young as I used to be.”

Emma saluted with her glass. “Better than the alternative.”

Regina cocked an eyebrow but let the comment slide. “So, what kind of business are you doing here, Ms Swan?”

“Ah, we’ve come to the interrogation portion of the evening,” the blonde said, “and it’s Emma.” After Regina inclined her head in acknowledgement, Emma answered, “I’m a bailbonds-person, and I’m here following a lead on a runner.”

“Bailbonds- _person,”_ Regina repeated. “While more accurate, it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, does it?”

Emma shrugged. “What about you?”

Regina sipped her water. “What about me?”

“Have you always been a surfer girl by day and bartender by night?” If Emma hadn’t been watching for it, she would have missed the slight flinch.

Regina sat back in the booth. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re avoiding the question,” Emma pointed out. “Which only makes me more interested.” She leaned forward. “Your accent doesn’t sound like you’ve lived your life on California beaches.”

Regina’s eyes narrowed; she glanced around the bar before finally admitting, “I grew up on the east coast.”

“Maine?” Emma asked, knowing that was practically an insult.

Regina glared, taking the bait. “I’m from New York.”

Of course, she was. Emma grinned. “Ah, so you mastered that look at a young age.”

“What look?” Regina asked innocently, knowing full well what look Emma was talking about.

“That Evil Queen look,” Emma said, “that don’t-talk-to-me-don’t-look-at-me look. You know what I’m talking about.”

Regina laughed. “I think it’s called resting bitch face.”

“No, no,” Emma waved her off. “This is different; this is used very specifically and very as needed.” She gestured towards the end of the bar where the big screen tv had been showing a football game earlier. “One look from you and those guys watching the game knew better than to try and start any trouble in your bar.”

“Well, I admit it does come in handy,” Regina said, obviously rather pleased with herself.

“So, is it?”

Regina cocked her head. “Is what it?”

“Is this your bar?” Emma asked despite knowing the answer.

“Do I look like a Dominic to you?” she asked. “What exactly do you think I’m packing in these jeans?”

Emma choked on her water and grabbed a handful of napkins. Eyes watering, she glared at Regina which elicited another smokey chuckle from the brunette. When she could speak, “For all I know you bought it from some guy named Dominic,” Emma managed. “And we both know, there is no room for _anything_ else to fit into those jeans.”

The lightest hint of color climbed into Regina’s cheeks when Emma pointedly tapped her fingers on the tabletop. She gamely leaned closer. “Just what have you been thinking about all night sitting at the end of the bar, watching my every move?”

“Just observing my surroundings, appreciating art when I see it.” And having thoughts she definitely should not be having. Back to work then, “So, who is Dominic?”

That same little twitch at the corner of her eye. “Why so interested?”

“Do you always answer a question with a question?”

“Do you always ask so many questions?”

“Only when I’m trying to get to know someone,” she waggled her hand, “or if I’m trying to hunt someone down.”

Another flinch. “I’m no one’s prey, Ms Swan.”

Sadly, Emma doubted that. The answer was too defensive for the light conversation; she retreated. “Forgive me,” Emma said, leaning back in the booth, “Being inquisitive comes with my job.” Regina still seemed ready to storm off. “Since I’m not working right now, I should learn to relax and not ask so many questions.”

An awkward silence settled over the table. Regina was oddly disappointed; she’d been enjoying trading barbs with the blonde. Reminded her of when she’d wanted to practice law and spend her days arguing cases, but that had been a lifetime ago.

Hadn’t it?

“So.” Emma cast about for a topic of easy conversation. “You’re going surfing in the morning.”

Despite being thankful for a safe topic, Regina narrowed her eyes. “Was that another question?”


	2. Chapter 2

Emma knew she had to play the role, but she really, really hated this part of her job. She checked her make-up one last time before getting out of her car. She looked up at the club she was about to enter. “Ugh.”

After one last moment of self-pity, she threw her golden waves over her shoulder and sauntered towards the front door. If she acted anything less than arrogant, she’d never make it past the front door. She flicked the forged embossed invitation at the host, and the bouncers rushed to open the doors for her.

She felt eyes on her as she headed for the bar. She wasn’t known but she acted as though she belonged and gave no reason to suspect otherwise. The watchers went back to their drinks. The short dress she was wearing slipped further up her thigh as she settled on the bar stool and ordered an apple whiskey sour. It wasn’t a well-known drink but the bartender didn’t blink.

Casually, Emma scanned the crowd. She knew Regina was there in the crowd somewhere; she’d watched her arrive with her two housemates. She’d visited with Regina twice more at the bar. The cagey woman had finally divulged that Dominic was one of her housemates and his boyfriend Gideon was the other. She didn’t admit much else about them, and Emma still wasn’t quite certain Regina knew what sort of creatures she was truly living with.

Then again, she was _here_. A private club filled with vampires and their human guests. While general society accepted that vampires were real, most people (on both sides) didn't want to socialize together. And with good reason. While there were acceptable substitutes on the modern market, vampires still preferred their food sources to be organic whenever possible; something polite society tended to be wary about.

But if humans did not concern themselves with where their rib-eye steak came from or how it was treated prior to hitting the grill, why should vampires concern themselves about where their food was sourced. If the distinction between voluntary and unwilling donors blurred on occasion, who were they to question supply and demand.

And as Emma had found over the years, some vampires _preferred_ the involuntary.

They made her skin crawl.

“Hey, you!”

Emma genuinely brightened when Regina appeared in front of her. She quickly moved her drink out of the way as the brunette used the bar top as a crutch to assist her hop onto the stool that was slightly too tall for her. The blonde smothered her grin. “Hello again, my queen.”

Regina mock glared at her. It had amused Emma to no end when Regina had admitted that her name meant queen.

“I would have never guessed you’d be here tonight.”

Emma would have never guessed that Regina was a lightweight, but the woman was definitely buzzed and she hadn’t been here that long. Then Emma noticed the two small puncture marks in the crook of Regina’s elbow. She sighed; drinking while being a pint low would make anyone a light weight. She grimly saluted with her drink. “Of all the gin joints in all the world.”

“But this isn’t my joint!” Regina shook a finger at her. Then she seemed to sober slightly as she leaned closer. “Are you on the job right now?”

Yes. Yes, she was, just not the job Regina thought. Emma nodded. “Had a good tip my runner might be here.”

“If he’s _here_ ,” Regina glanced around before lowering her voice, “you know you need to be _extra_ careful, right?”

Emma really wanted her to say it, to be specific. “I’m always careful.”

“Yeah, but,” Regina leaned closer, putting her hand on Emma’s thigh, “do you _know_ where you are?”

“Do you?” Emma chuckled. Drunk Regina was kind of flirty…or she just needed the extra bit of balance.

“I live with two vampires, Emma. I think I know the crowd.”

And there it was. Well, that answered several questions while creating a few more. She hesitated, trying to think of the best way to react, but Regina retreated before she could say anything. “I guess if I had just told you that the first night at the bar, you wouldn’t have come back.”

“Hey, whoa,” Emma said, grabbing her elbow before she slid off the stool. “It’s not like that.” When Regina didn’t look at her, she pressed, “Regina, look at me, come on. I know where I am, okay? I _know_.” Regina side-eyed her and Emma dared to lean a little closer. “Given the company surrounding us, clearly, you living with a couple of vamps doesn’t bother me.”

Regina turned a little way towards her. “Really?”

“Really, really,” Emma faked her amusement. It bothered the hell out of her, but they weren’t quite there yet. Soon. She gestured towards the bar. “How about for once, I buy you a drink?”

Dark eyes studied her for a minute before she asked, “What are you drinking?”

“Apple whiskey sour.” Because she knew Regina favored apples. She cupped her hand over the top of the glass and pushed it towards Regina. “Want to try it?”

Regina happily took a sip. “Oh, that’s good.” She took another drink. “That’s really good.” She eyed the almost empty glass. “I’m surprised I’ve never heard of it.”

Emma signaled the bartender for another round. She spotted Dominic and Gideon watching them; she put her hand over Regina’s. “You want to get out of here? Go for a walk or something?”

“I thought you were working,” Regina said.

She clocked Gideon headed towards them. “I’d rather talk to you then chase someone down in these heels.”

“Sure,” Regina agreed easily, standing. “Just let me tell…oh, hey Gideon, I was just-”

Gideon held Regina by the upper arm as he glared openly at Emma. “Who are you?”

Emma smiled for Regina’s benefit, but she knew she didn’t fool Gideon. “Who are you?”

“Emma this is Gideon,” Regina supplied. “Gideon, this is a friend of mine, Emma Swan. She’s a bailbonds-person.”

Neither extended their hand in greeting or looked away from each other. Regina glanced between them and cleared her throat, “Gideon, we were just about to-”

“There’s someone I want you to meet,” Gideon said, cutting Regina off. He broke his stare off with Emma to look directly at Regina. “I told him we’d be right back so I want you to come with me.”

“Oh. Okay,” Regina agreed, turning to go with him.

“Another time then,” Emma said, regaining Regina’s attention despite Gideon’s glare.

Regina blinked, looking a bit confused. “Yeah, sure. Next time.”

Emma leaned back against the bar as Gideon and Regina disappeared back into the crowd. “See you soon.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The blonde sipped her drink and waited. It didn’t take long until she saw what she was waiting for. Regina was hurrying through the crowd, headed towards the restroom. Emma dropped money on the bar and took her time making her way to the restroom.

She winced immediately upon entering, sympathetic to the woman’s retching even if it was necessary. She leaned back against the sinks, waiting until it was over and the stall door opened; Regina came out looking pale.

“Guess you’re pretty human after all.”

Regina dropped the hand she held to her mouth and glared at the blonde. “What are you talking about?” She closed her eyes and muscled down another flip of her stomach.

Emma stepped to the side so Regina could reach the sink. “I slipped a bit of potion in my drink before you tried it. It doesn’t react well with the vamp blood in your system.”

Regina froze, her eyes meeting the blonde’s in the mirror. Her mind felt sluggish. “You put something in my drink?”

“A regrettable test,” Emma admitted. “Let me ask you something, Regina? Are you aware you are under the vampire’s thrall?”

Regina scoffed then rinsed her mouth out with a handful of water. “Is that what this is about? Because I let them feed on me?”

Emma flinched at the regrettable admission. “Letting them feed from you and being under their thrall are two completely different things.” She held up a hand. “I’m not judging. If this is the life you choose, that’s perfectly acceptable. Many do. I’m only trying to determine, if it is, in fact, _your_ choice.”

Regina grabbed a handful of paper towels. She should have known the blonde was too good to be true. Gideon had warned her against talking to her. “Yes, I choose to be with them, now if you’ll excuse me-”

“You willingly drink from them?” Emma asked.

“What? No!” Regina grimaced and shook her head. “They drink from me; it’s a one-way street.”

Emma gestured vaguely at her. “That rather violent expulsion from your body a few minutes ago, begs to differ.”

She sighed, her head throbbing. “What are you talking about?”

“The vamps have been dosing you with their blood, Regina. You’re under their thrall,” Emma said. “The potion I gave you forced your body to expel the foreign blood that was in your system. Their blood.”

Regina shook her head. “You’re ridiculous. I would’ve noticed if I’d been drinking their blood.”

“Once established, it only takes a very small amount to maintain a thrall. One drop a day. One tainted meal every few days,” Emma argued. “Do you have a medicine you take regularly? Maybe something to help you recover after they feed on you?” She watched closely and saw Regina hesitate. “Is there something they insist you eat or drink on a regular basis?”

Regina closed her eyes, the thought itself hazy. “I have…headaches if I don’t...”

“If you don’t, what? Take a daily medicine?”

Regina tried to wave it off. “I drink a tonic at night before I go to bed. It’s not a big deal.”

Emma straightened. “What happens if you don’t drink it?”

She hadn’t tried to go without. “The headaches are just a side effect from an injury.”

“An injury like the concussion you got six months ago from your surf board accident?” Emma asked. “The concussion that you were never treated for in an actual hospital?”

“How do you know about that?” Regina’s eyes narrowed as her suspicion skyrocketed. “Who are you?”

Emma draped her hands behind her back; she missed her pockets. It wasn’t going to go well, but she came clean. “Your sister is worried about you.”

That was the last answer Regina had been expecting. “What? My _sister_?”

“I’m not here for a bail-jumper, Regina. Zelena, your sister, hired me to find you,” she explained. “She wanted to check on you after you went off the grid and stopped replying to her emails.”

“What emails? I haven’t gotten any…why would Zelena-?” She shook her head, pinching the bridge of her nose as her head throbbed. After a moment, she exhaled, “No, that’s just…no. Look, I don’t know who you think you are, but…”

Someone banged on the bathroom door. “Regina? Are you in there? Are you all right?”

Emma stepped close to her. “Right at this moment, the majority of their blood is out of your system. The control they have over you is weakened. I’m sure they won’t let you stay that way for long.” She pushed a small vial of clear liquid into Regina’s hand. “This will counteract their blood. The second you have any doubt, any question about something they tell you to do, or something you don’t feel comfortable doing, take this.”

The banging sounded again. It was Dominic. “Regina?”

“Answer him,” Emma urged. “Tell him you’ll be right out.”

“I’m okay,” she managed shakily, unsure why she didn’t call out for him instead. “I’ll be out in a moment.”

Emma closed Regina’s fingers around the vial. “I’ll be at the market café on the corner every afternoon for the next two weeks. If you want to talk more, that’s where I’ll be.” She held Regina’s gaze. “I can help you.”

Blinking, Regina looked down at the vial. “I’m not taking this.” She tried to hand the vial back. “And I certainly don’t need your help.”

Emma refused to take the bottle. “I hope that’s true, Regina.” She took a few steps back. “Keep it. You might decide you want it.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Dubious consent implications

It was a bright, sunny afternoon and Regina never tired of the light ocean breeze that kept even the air on the main strip fresh. It had been two weeks since she’d seen Emma and while she hadn’t changed her mind, she did find herself meandering towards a certain corner café. As she approached the shaded outdoor seating, she spotted the blonde sitting at a corner table. As if sensing her watching, the blonde looked up from her book.

Emma had spotted Regina long before Regina saw her. Once the woman decided to stop and look, Emma put down the book she’d easily read a dozen times and openly watched the brunette. It may have been the first time Regina had seen her in two weeks, but Emma had kept an eye on her. It saddened her that she knew Regina wasn’t there to leave with her. After today, she wasn’t sure if they’d ever see each other again. She strongly suspected Regina would end up dead within the year.

Or worse.

Not entirely sure why she was doing it, Regina approached the table. “Mind if I join you?”

Emma waved at the empty chair across from her. “Please.”

“What are you reading?” Regina asked, pulling out the chair.

“Nothing you’ve heard of.”

“That’s rather presumptuous of you.” She signaled the waiter for a coffee.

“Not really,” Emma said. “It’s an unpublished story a friend wrote. I liked it so much I used a self-publisher so I could have it in book form.”

Interested, Regina resisted the urge to grab the book and look for herself. “What’s it about?”

“Oh, it’s a fantasy. Queens and imps, dragons and darkness.” Easily reading the curiosity on Regina’s face, she pushed the book closer to her. “But it’s also about acceptance and the true families we make for ourselves.”

“Definitely a fantasy then,” Regina said, sensing the loaded trap the blonde wanted to spring.

“For some I suppose.” Emma leaned back in her seat, leaving the book on the table between them.

Regina mirrored her and leaned back as well. “You said you were leaving after two weeks.”

“My flight leaves tomorrow morning.”

Regina felt an unexpected pang of disappointment. “You never came back to the bar.”

She’d been back; she just hadn’t let Regina or anyone else see her. “Thankfully, you met me here.”

Regina looked out across the strip. The tourists walked by eating ice cream; the surf rolled continuously in the distance. She liked it here; she’d made a good life for herself here. It was easy with no pressures or expectations. “That night at the party…all that stuff you said in the bathroom…”

Emma waited for her to finish. The woman had a keen analytical mind. Even if she had denied what she’d been told, Emma had hoped she would think about it. It gave her the tiniest spark of hope that Regina might survive after all.

Dark eyes looked up from beneath dark lashes. “That was all bullshit, right? You were just messing with me.”

The spark of hope sputtered as Emma shook her head. “No, Regina. I spoke the truth to you the best I can ascertain.”

“The best you can-” Regina shook her head. “So, you were just making it up.”

“Regina, I don’t have a sample of your blood or theirs to examine under a microscope and determine with scientific preciseness that you are under their thrall.” She held up a hand to stall the rebuttal. “I have observations, I have my research, and your reaction to the potion was a very strong indicator.”

“What research?”

Emma swore internally. “I told you that your sister hired me to find you. In order to do that, I did my homework on you.”

“And just what exactly did you find out about me?”

The way Regina’s voice dropped an octave made Emma’s insides flutter, but it was definitely not the time. “You’re a strong, independent woman. Highly intelligent. You struck out for the west coast to get away from your mother despite her lining up several law firm partnerships for you that would have been incredibly lucrative.”

Regina drummed her fingers on the table. That was all baseline information, nothing to get too upset over someone knowing. The mother part could’ve have easily been told to Emma by her sister. “Go on.”

Emma sighed, knowing this could get ugly quick. “You bought a condo in the suburbs, close enough to the beach but with easy access to the city as well. You met with a few local law firms, most of which do the kind of work that would be rewarding but not make you independently wealthy.” She watched Regina pull back, the information hitting closer than she liked. “Then eight months ago, you had an injury while surfing and hit your head. Two guys found you, clinging to your board and saved you, at least, that’s what you told Zelena in an email before you went off grid.” Zelena had continued to send Regina emails but she never got any more replies before the account was closed. “You eventually resurfaced, managing a beach bar of all things. You sold your condo and moved in with two vamps who use you as a food source.” Emma winced as soon as she said it. “Sorry. I could have phrased that last part better.”

“Yes, you could have,” Regina growled after an awkward silence. “You could have not said anything at all about things you obviously know nothing about.” She pushed to her feet. “We’re done here. Go back to wherever it is you came from.”

“Are you aware they brag to their friends about you?” Emma asked, stopping her from leaving. “They refer to you as their house decoration.”

Regina turned on her, looking stricken. “What are you talking about?”

“On the Dark Web there are forums for just about everything,” Emma said. “Sex, drugs, blood bags-”

“I know what the dark web is, Emma,” Regina snapped.

Emma held her hands up. “There’s a forum where vamps brag about their conquests.” She hesitated. “Their thralls. Gideon has posted pictures of you on there.” She pulled her phone out from her pocket and opened it to the gallery. She had a few screenshots saved. “He refers to you as a pretty piece of decoration.” She slid the phone across the table. “When asked, he posted that when he tires of you, you’ll be a party favor.”

Regina sank back into the seat as she looked at the screenshots. There were definitely a few pictures of her wearing an outfit she remembered. She’d worn it to a party a few months before. It had been skimpier than she usually cared for, barely covering her ass, but Dominic had bought it for her and asked her to wear it. In one picture, her thong underwear dangled from her fingers as her other hand teased at pulling up the hem of the dress. Nausea rolled in her gut as she tried to remember that night. “I don’t remember taking any pictures that night.”

“Vamps can compel their thralls to do pretty much anything,” Emma suggested. “They could also make you forget.”

Desperately seeking any way to deny it, Regina swiped through the pictures. “This says these pictures were posted by AnonJudge830. How do you know that’s Gideon?”

“I did more research on him than I did on you,” Emma said. Regina wasn’t the first woman he’d posted pictures of. “It’s him.” She gestured towards the phone. “And if you look at the comments, AnonDNic47 is Dominic.”

“Can’t wait to pop that party favor. Soon!” Regina read aloud. She turned off the phone and tossed it back at Emma. “You’re wrong. Dom is gay.”

“He doesn’t want to fuck you; he wants to drain you,” Emma argued. “He’s the only other name on there that has posted pictures of you.”

Regina paled. “There are more pictures?”

Emma looked away. She didn’t like to think about the other pictures she’d seen. Regina passed out on the bed, blood dripping from her arm, a large male hand cupping her face and leaving blood smeared across her lips. “Yes. There were others.”

“Show me.”

“I can’t,” she admitted. “I didn’t save those on my phone.”

“Then pull up the site and show me,” Regina said, gesturing vaguely towards Emma’s phone. “Show me this alleged forum. Show me these posts, not just screenshots.”

“I can’t,” Emma insisted. “The thread was only public for a short amount of time.”

Regina scoffed. “How do I know you aren’t just making all of this up?”

Emma scrubbed a hand over her face. “I have no reason to lie.”

They sat in silence for a long minute. Long enough for the waiter to come over and awkwardly ask if they needed anything. Once he was gone, Regina said, “Gideon and Dominic found me in the ocean. They took me in; they took care of me.”

“They should’ve taken you to the hospital.”

“They saved my life.”

“They’re going to kill you.” Emma swallowed thickly and looked away. “Or make you one of them.”

After a pause, Regina shook her head and Emma knew she had lost her.

“No. I don’t believe you.”

“Then just listen to me. Please, for two minutes, listen.” When Regina didn’t immediately leave, Emma spoke, “If you trust them, if this is the life you want, fine. Good for you. I hope you enjoy it. But if there is one single part of you, one emotion or bad feeling, but you still don’t believe me, then test them. Tell them you want to go away for a weekend. Alone. Don’t eat or drink anything you don’t fix yourself for 48 hours. See how they act. See what happens.”

“I’ll…consider it,” Regina said. She started to stand and Emma reached over the table.

“One more thing! I’m leaving tomorrow unless you ask me to stay. But! I’m leaving a gift bag here with the manager. They’re holding it for you. You can pick it up at any time. But don’t take it back to your house. It’s a bug-out bag.”

“A bug-out bag?” Regina repeated.

“It’s got everything in it you need to escape. It’s got a burner phone, money, and travel vouchers. I left instructions for what to do and how to contact me if you need or want to use it. It’s also got another vial of the serum in it that I dosed you with before. The serum is only good for about six months but the rest will be good for a year.” She held Regina’s hand. “If you try to leave them, you have to be very careful, Regina. They are not going to let you go easily. The compulsion to do as they say can be very hard to break.”

Regina drew her hand away from Emma’s. “While I appreciate your concern, they don’t control me.” She stood. “I hope you have a good flight.”

Emma stood too. “I hope you have a good life, but if you ever need me, call.” She offered her card.

Regina hesitated then took the card and read it - Savior Investigations. She scoffed, “I won’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to OIAQ!!


	4. Chapter 4

**3 Months Later**

Emma was sitting in her car outside a jewelry store waiting for her target to reappear. She could’ve gone into the store and apprehended him, but she didn’t want to alarm any customers in the store. Plus, if she waited until after he bought the jewelry, she could easily get the money owed her off it instead of waiting for him to claim he didn’t have any money.

Her phone rang on the seat next to her and she frowned at the unknown number on the screen. Still watching the store, she answered, “This is Swan.”

No one answered her and she immediately thought it was a spam call. “Hello?” The line didn’t pick up like it was a computer or a salesman. She took the phone away from her ear; the call was still connected. “If there’s someone there and you can hear me but can’t speak, press 2.”

There was a distinct shuffling sound as the phone was moved then a distinct beep as a number was pressed. Emma immediately sat up straighter; her jewelry store job forgotten. She currently had three burner phones out as lifelines to possible rescue cases. “Okay, I heard you and understand. I’m here; I’m listening.” She flipped open her laptop and began powering it up. “Are you in a safe space? Press 3 if you are.”

It didn’t matter what button a person pushed. She just needed to give them specific directions to follow. The beep sounded over the small phone speaker. “That’s good. That’s real good.” She pulled up her tracker program. Only one of her three lifeline phones was green and active. Shit. “Regina?”

She heard a small gasp. Emma threw her car in gear and whipped a U-turn in the middle of the street. “Regina, it’s Emma.” The GPS showed her at the café. “Is anyone with you?”

“Em-ma…”

Emma held her breath as she strained to listen. She could hear breathing and she’d heard the barely audible whisper of her name. It had been three months since she’d heard that voice. She hadn’t expected to ever hear it again. “Yeah, Regina, it’s me. It’s Emma. Are you at the café?”

Her GPS showed that it would take six hours to reach the café. Shit. She started going through her options.

“Emma…my head…can’t think…”

She was working against the thrall. Damn it. “Okay, Regina I need you to hold on for me. I know it hurts but I need you to stay where you are and just hold on.” She brought her knees up to hold the steering wheel and fished a second phone out of her glove compartment. “Are you inside the café?”

“…office…”

Emma frowned. “You’re in the café’s office?”

The only answer she got was another beep. She took that to mean yes. “Okay, that’s good, Regina. I want you to stay right there, okay. Just stay there and stay quiet.” She hit the interstate and set the cruise control at 90. She punched out another number on the second phone. “Regina, I’m still here but I’ve got to make another call. Just stay with me.”

The other line picked up. “Wow, it must be bad for you to actually pick up the phone and call.”

Emma was just relieved her contact picked up. “It is. And you’re going to hate me for it. You still in the same territory?”

“Of course,” the female voice snarled. “You know that shit don’t change.”

“Good, that means you’re about a half hour away from where I need you to pick up a package. I’m about six hours out, but I need some insurance.”

“What kind of insurance?”

“The kind only you can offer, Red,” Emma said, swerving around a slow-moving semi. “I need you to pick up the package from an unsafe location, bring it back to yours, and sit on it until I get there.”

“Em-ma?”

“Hold on, Red.” She switched phones. “Yeah, Regina, I’m still here. You okay?” Her voice sounded stronger.

“I can’t seem to…concentrate. Everything’s…foggy.”

“You’re working against a compulsion. I know it’s hard, but you have got to keep fighting it, okay?”

“So…tired.”

“I know.” Gods above, did she know. “I know it’s hard-”

“SWAN!!” Red’s voice sounded from the phone in Emma’s lap.

“Damn it!” She switched Regina to speaker and dropped the phone in her door handle. “Go ahead and tilt your head back and close your eyes, Regina.” She tapped out the café address and sent the location to Red. “Just stay where you are and try to stay calm.”

She switched back to Red. “I sent you the address. I’ll call ahead and let them know you’re coming.”

“Whoa! Hey! Let’s not act like I didn’t just hear you, okay?” Red said. Yeah, she was already getting into her car, the café address plugged into her GPS, but Emma didn’t need to know that. “Just who exactly is this package that I’m picking up?”

Emma sighed, stupid wolf hearing. “She’s a woman in trouble and she needs help.”

“Let me guess,” Red said, “she’s a fucking thrall.”

“ _Unwilling_ thrall, Red.”

“They’re all unwilling or they wouldn’t need to be put under control,” Red argued her old point. She didn’t much like vamps. “This is going to be expensive for you, you know that, right? Sending me in to their territory. Having me bring her back to _my_ territory.” She whistled. “I’m going to get that new Charger I’ve been eyeing off just this job alone.”

“Hey, go easy, Red,” Emma tried, but she didn’t really care. Zelena had money to burn.

“And then protection services on top of that?” Red continued undeterred. “My new baby is going to have all the bells and whistles.”

Emma chuckled. “Alright, alright. You on your way?”

“Hell yeah, I’ll be there in twenty.”

Emma hesitated. “She’s probably going to resist.” She could practically hear Ruby grin through the phone.

“Did I hear custom paint job? Oh yeah.”

“Thanks, Red.”

“See you tonight. You know the place.”

The call disconnected and Emma checked on Regina. The line was still open but there was no response. She could only hope that meant she’d passed out. She picked up the phone again and placed a call to the café manager. After she confirmed Regina was there and safely tucked away in the office, she promised the manager would find a nice bonus in their account if they kept Regina there until Red showed up. The manager was perfectly happy to help.

Emma hung up the phone and changed her GPS to take her to Granny’s Diner instead. Approximately twenty minutes later, she heard Red’s voice over the open line she had to Regina. She heard a scuffle break out and inhuman growling; then Red cursed and a thud sounded before everything went quiet again. Emma held her breath.

“Your girl just tried to bite me,” Red growled into the phone. “I think I’m going to need some custom tires, too.”

The line disconnected without another word. Emma dropped the car off cruise control and revved the engine up to triple digits. Zelena was going to kill her if Granny didn’t first.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was almost 9 PM when Emma finally arrived at the diner. Granny’s was straight out of the 50’s and 60’s and except for the price of food, Granny hadn’t changed a thing over the years. The regulars at Granny’s didn’t like change; they didn’t like different. And they certainly didn’t like Emma.

Luckily for her, Granny did.

She pulled open the door, setting the metal blinds swinging against the door, causing a racket that made everyone turn to look at her. Everything in her wanted to duck her head and hurry through the diner to find Red, but she knew better. She lifted her chin, gave a glare as good as she received, and closed the door behind her. She waited a beat, giving herself and everyone else a moment to decide how to act, then stepped forward.

A chair off to her right scraped against the floor as someone stood up. She grit her teeth and kept walking towards the bar.

“Hey blondie!” Another chair scraped against the floor, emboldened by its partner. “You aren’t welcome here.”

Emma really wished Red or Granny would make an appearance. She slid onto the stool at the end of the bar. Three looming figures stalked closer to her and she dug her nails into the palms of her hand. She did not have time for this.

The one with the voice shoved her shoulder. “You deaf?” His friends chuckled as he leaned closer to her. “You don’t belong here; you’re not wanted or welcome.”

She felt her control slipping and held herself rigidly. “I don’t want any trouble.”

“That’s good to hear,” a rough voice spoke as the doors to the kitchen bounced open, “but we all know trouble tends to find you regardless.”

The three men straightened behind her, misreading the diner’s matron. “We’d be happy to throw out the trash for you, ma’am.”

“If he touches me again,” Emma growled, “I won’t be responsible for my actions, Granny.”

Granny chuckled. “I suggest you boys back off. Sounds like the girl doesn’t want anything to do with you.”

The man was a moron and clearly not one of Granny’s regulars. When Granny made a suggestion, you followed it. The rest of the patrons went back to their own business, but the meathead behind Emma grabbed a handful of her jacket. Her darkened gaze flicked to Granny’s; the old woman smirked.

Emma whipped around faster than the man could react. She gripped his thumb and twisted his arm back at such an unnatural angle he bent at the knee to try and escape the pressure. She knee’d him in the face, knocking him backwards. His two buddies began to growl and face off against the blonde.

“That’s enough.”

Emma felt the pressure of the command slide past her and the two men snapped their attention to Granny in shock. The wolf shown in the old woman’s eyes and the two men backed down in the face of the old Alpha.

“I suggest you pick up your buddy and go back to your business,” she said. The men nodded quickly and moved to do as she ordered. “Girl, Red is waiting for you at the B&B.”

Emma took a second to wrestle her instincts back under control before turning to Granny. She nodded respectfully. “Thank you, Granny.”

“Uh huh,” Granny grunted, tossing a towel over her shoulder and picking up the coffee pot.

Emma slipped through the kitchen doors and out the back exit, making her way across the cobblestone alley, and up the steps to the small inn. She walked up to the small desk that served as a check-in counter and obnoxiously tapped the silver bell.

Red growled and dropped her feet off the counter, righting her chair. “Do you always have to act like you’re five years old?”

Emma grinned, “Nice to see you, too, Red.”

Red stood and wrapped her long arms around the blonde. She gave Emma a bone-crushing hug then pushed her away. “I forgot how bad you reek.”

“Speak for yourself,” Emma chuckled. Despite their differences, Granny and Red were the closest people she had to family. “Sorry, I’ve been away so long. I didn’t mean-”

Red waved her off. “Yeah, yeah.” She’d never been one for sentiment. She shook her head. “You’ve really got yourself a problem this time. You know that, right?”

“Is she that bad?” Emma asked.

"Honestly," Red reached over the desk and grabbed a set of keys, “I don’t know how she even managed to call you.”

Emma glanced at the keys. “You had to lock her up?”

“When we first got here? Hell, yeah. For her own safety.” They started walking down the hall away from the guest rooms. “She could probably be released now that it’s been a few hours, but she’s going to have it rough the next few days.”

“I have two bottles of the serum,” Emma said, watching as Red worked the keys in an old door and then led the way downstairs.

“That’ll help, but she’s still going to have major withdrawal.” She turned on a light and gestured towards the back corner of the finished basement. “She was almost feral at first. She’s calmed down some, but she hasn’t been very coherent.”

Emma rubbed the back of her neck. “Can you give us a minute?”

Red handed over the keys and started back up the stairs. She paused and turned, “We want to help, Emma, and you can stay the night, but tomorrow you need to get her out of here.”

“I know, Red.” Emma nodded. “Thanks for the help.”


	5. Chapter 5

Emma waited until the door at the top of the stairs closed behind Red before carefully making her way towards the dimly lit corner. She grimaced at the sight of Regina, seated on a thin mattress, wrists cuffed to the wall near her head; the brunette was slumped to one side, her dark hair hiding her face in the crook of her elbow.

Emma scrubbed a hand over her face as she knelt beside the restrained woman. “Regina, can you hear me? It’s Emma.” When she didn’t stir, Emma cautiously reached out and touched Regina’s knee, giving her a small shake. “Regina?”

There was a small moan, a whimper, but Regina barely stirred. Emma sat back on her heels. She desperately wanted to release the restraints but without knowing Regina’s state of mind she knew it was a bad idea. She could just let her rest; she knew she needed it, but if Regina was coherent, it’d be torture to leave her restrained.

Tucking the keys in her back pocket, she cautiously leaned forward and brushed the dark strands of hair back behind the woman’s ear. Heat radiated off clammy skin and Emma could see where the hair was darkened against her neck due to sweat. She gently cupped her face and lifted her head. “Regina?”

There was a whimper of pain and Regina flinched. Emma hoped it was because of strained muscles and not fear. “Regina, it’s Emma. If you can hear me, open your eyes, please.” She stroked her thumb over Regina’s cheek. “You’re safe, Regina. No one is going to hurt you.”

Slowly, with serious effort, Regina blinked open her eyes. She didn’t look up or around; she kept her gaze down, unfocused.

Emma lowered her voice, hoping not to startle the woman further. “Regina?” A twitch against the fingers caressing her cheek. “Regina, it’s me, it’s Emma. You’re safe.”

The brown eyes closed for a moment before reopening, then slowly, cautiously Regina turned the smallest fraction, her eyes cutting to the side to see for herself. “Em-,” her voice caught and she swallowed, tried to moisten her lips. “Em-ma?”

“Yeah, it’s me.” She didn’t dare move yet. “It’s just me; you’re safe. I got you.”

Regina slumped an inch or two further in her restraints, her head dropping heavier into the blonde’s hands. “I can’t…” she swallowed thickly. “W-where…”

“We’re in a safe house. No one knows we’re here. You’re safe.” She ducked her head down a bit to try and see Regina’s eyes, but she had them closed again. “Do you want some water? Something to drink?”

Regina nodded then groaned when she tried to move against the restraints. She blinked and lifted her head, wincing, as she tried to see her surroundings. A frown creased between her eyebrows. “Where are we?”

Emma exhaled in relief when she was finally able to see the brunette’s eyes. They were severely bloodshot, there was hardly any white to be seen in her left one, but they were clear. Sharp and bright with fever and pain, but not the clouded, blown out pupils that Emma had feared. She grabbed the keys from her pocket. “We’re at a friend’s place.” She unlocked the first cuff, wincing as Regina watched with dawning fear and then pain as she lowered her arm. “Sorry about this. Ruby was concerned you might hurt yourself.” She moved to unlock the other arm, sliding to the side, trying not to crowd Regina too much. “Do you remember Ruby?”

Regina hissed in pain as she tried to flex her fingers and move her hands, pins and needles began stinging beneath her skin. Emma watched her as she sat back for a second before remembering Regina was probably thirsty. “Let me get that water for you. I’ll be right back.”

Regina’s hand clamped down on Emma’s wrist, her grip tighter than expected, nails almost digging in. Emma froze, watching carefully as Regina’s breathing picked up, her gaze suddenly flickering around the basement. Emma placed her hand over Regina’s immediately drawing her attention; she offered what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “It’s okay. You’re safe. I’m not going far.” She pointed to the small half-refrigerator in the corner. “You’ll be able to see me. I’m getting a bottle of water from right over there.”

Regina shook her head. “No.”

Emma settled back down; she would go at whatever pace Regina set. “Okay.”

The brunette’s eyes narrowed like she didn’t believe her. Then she glanced around her surroundings again, blinking. “Where are we?”

“This place belongs to a friend of mine,” Emma repeated herself. “Do you remember how you got here?”

Regina shook her head, her grip on Emma’s arm tightening.

“That’s okay,” Emma reassured her. “What is the last thing you remember?”

Regina frowned. “I don’t…” She looked up, shook her head. “I don’t…why don’t I remember anything?”

“Easy, take it easy, just breathe,” Emma encouraged her. “You remember plenty. You called me. You knew to do that. Do you remember going to the café?”

“The café,” Regina repeated, closing her eyes. She held her breath then exhaled heavily. “There was a desk?”

Emma nodded. “That’s right. You were in the café’s office by the desk. Do you remember that?”

Regina shook her head. “No. Not really.” She rubbed the heel of her hand across her forehead. “Why can’t I…protein shake.”

The blonde arched an eyebrow. “What about a protein shake?”

“I didn’t want it…” Sweat broke out on Regina’s forehead. “Dominic was in the kitchen. I wanted to fix some eggs for breakfast, but he’d already fixed the protein shake for me.” She swallowed thickly. “I didn’t want it; I told him that, but then…Gideon was there.” She brought her hand up to her mouth; she could still taste it. “Oh God, he told me...”

Every muscle Emma had was coiled tight as she held herself still, listening to Regina, controlling the desperate urge to run out into the night and kill the two vampires. She had to unlock her jaw to encourage Regina to continue, “What did Gideon tell you to do?”

“He told me I wanted to drink the shake…and I agreed with him.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I started to drink it…Oh, God-” She tore her hand away from Emma’s, quickly turning to the side, and retching up bile.

Emma used the opportunity to move to the corner and get the bottle of water. She also gave herself a moment to muscle down her own violent desires. She grabbed a couple of rags off the shelf and walked back to Regina. She offered the bottle and a rag, dropped another rag on the mostly liquid mess, and sat down beside the brunette.

After a few sips of water and an unexpected shiver, Regina asked, “What the fuck did they do to me?”

Emma leaned back against the wall and sipped her own water. “I fucking hate vampires.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After a few hours, Emma covered a restlessly sleeping Regina with a blanket and went back upstairs. It was almost two in the morning, but Ruby sat on the couch with a controller in hand, playing a video game.

“Don’t you ever sleep?” Emma asked as she walked past, heading towards the kitchen.

“Overrated,” Ruby said, not looking away from her game. “How’s your girl?”

“She’s not my girl,” Emma muttered into the refrigerator but knew the wolf heard her. She grabbed a Tupperware container out and gave it a sniff, leftover roast; she popped the top off and threw it in the microwave.

“Hey! That was my lunch for tomorrow.” Ruby’s heightened senses easily detecting the food.

Emma grinned as she grabbed a fork from the drawer; it had been too long since she’d had Granny’s cooking. No way she was about to pass up the opportunity even if it was leftovers. She took a seat at the table and pulled out her phone to check her messages; she needed to update Zelena. She held back a groan of pleasure as Granny’s roast practically melted in her mouth.

“Jerk.” Ruby sauntered into the kitchen, giving Emma some serious side-eye as she popped open an energy drink.

“Did you ever stop to think that maybe an energy drink at 2 in the morning is the reason you don’t sleep well?” Emma pointed with her fork.

“Pffftt,” Ruby scoffed. “I’d have to drink like a case of these before it made an impression.” She slugged back half the can in one go. “How is she?”

“Fever. Chills. Can’t really remember anything yet.” Emma chased around the last of the gravy in the bottom of her dish. “She’s thrown up twice.”

Ruby grimaced, slugged back the rest of her drink. She reached behind her and pulled a tablet off the counter. “Have you had time to check the forums?”

Emma looked up. “No. Why?”

“It’s not good.” Ruby took a seat at the table and slid the surface over to her. “There’s a party in three days.” She tapped the screen on a topic. “A competition.”

“Let me guess,” Emma said, pushing her bowl away and pulling the tablet closer, “who has the best thrall.”

“You got it in one,” Ruby said, disgusted. “They even have different categories. Most beautiful, most obedient, most talented.”

“And best overall,” Emma read, still scrolling. Her eyebrows raced upwards. “That’s some serious cash for winning.”

“And the winner gets their pick of any other thrall they wish to keep.” She tapped her fingers on the table. “My guess is Regina would’ve been quite the competitor.”

Emma swore as she continued to scroll down, reading the highlights. “They’re going to be pissed.”

“Oh, they are.” Ruby pulled the tablet back, slid through a few screens then turned it back to Emma. “They’re offering a cash prize for her return.”

“Fuuucckkk.” Emma scrolled down a thread filled with pictures of Regina and barely veiled threats regarding anyone that helped her escape. “They’re offering a hundred thousand dollars for her return before the weekend.” She looked up from the pad. “Twenty-five thousand if she’s returned after the competition.”

“They had some serious plans regarding that woman,” Ruby said. “You can bet they’ve already tracked Regina as far as the café.”

“Did you cover your tracks to here?”

“Of course,” Ruby scoffed, “but that doesn’t account for what the manager can and will tell them about you.”

“The manager is probably already dead,” Emma muttered, running her hands through her hair. She’d dealt with this sort of thing before but she hadn’t been expecting it this time.

Ruby watched her. “You got a plan?”

“The cabin up in Oregon,” she said, then shook her head. “It isn’t stocked though.”

The wolf shrugged. “I can have that taken care of tomorrow before you get there.”

“That would be helpful,” Emma said. She glanced in the direction of the basement. “She won’t be in good shape tomorrow.”

“She’ll be alive which is more than she would have been if she’d stayed. They would’ve drained her dry at that party.” She gave Emma a pointed look. “Or worse.”

Emma pinched the bridge of her nose. “Or worse.”

Ruby took her tablet back. “Get some sleep, Swan.” She got up from the table. “You’re going to need it.”


	6. Chapter 6

“Pull over.” Regina slapped at the back of Emma’s seat to get the blonde’s attention. “Pull over, pull over, pull over.”

“Hold on,” Emma urged, checking the rear view as she pulled towards a very narrow shoulder.

The car hadn’t quite stopped rolling when Regina flung her door open and stumbled out of the back of the car. Hands on her knees, she retched, throwing up the small amount of water and crackers she’d managed to eat at their last stop.

Emma rounded the back of the car, thankful the road was mostly deserted. She grimaced as she saw Regina spit. It was their third such stop in what was supposed to be an eight-hour drive. She twisted off the lid of a water bottle and handed it over. Regina eyed it warily as she slowly straightened but took a few sips to swish out her mouth.

“I can’t keep anything down,” she groaned when she stumbled back over to the side of the car.

“We can’t afford to let you get dehydrated.”

Regina glared at her.

Emma held up her hands in surrender. “Okay, no more for the car ride, but when we get to the cabin, you’re going to have to try.” She shrugged sheepishly. “It’ll help?”

Too tired to argue, Regina opened the back door of the car and sat inside. The fresh air and stationary vehicle were helping her nausea. She’d been asleep in the back whenever she hadn’t been throwing up. “I remember leaving the house.”

Emma moved so she could see her better. She hated to push; they needed to keep moving. She also hated how pale Regina was and figured she could give her a few minutes. “That’s more than you could recall last night.”

Regina rolled her eyes. “After the protein shake, they went back to acting normal. They fixed the breakfast I’d wanted, but for the first time, I could feel that something was off. Something was different.” She took a very small sip of the water. “I told them I wasn’t feeling well and wanted to lay back down. It was strange; I saw them look at each other and then Dom started to say something but Gideon cut him off.

“Then Gideon told me that was fine. He said they were going out for some errands, but that I _should_ go lay down.” She squinted as she tried to recall. “Then Dominic questioned him, asked something like was he sure, and Gideon just looked at me. He said, it’ll be fine. Regina won’t leave the house.” She shuddered. “And I felt the compulsion wash over me; I agreed. I promised I wouldn’t leave.”

Emma was surprised. Regina was even stronger than she thought if she’d been able to defy a direct order. “How did you manage it?”

“When I got to my room, it took every bit of concentration I could muster, but I managed to drink the vial you’d given me.” She shook her head. “They had to have heard me throwing up before they left, but I guess they just figured I really wasn’t feeling well. For a very short while, my head was clear. I heard them leave and knew I had to get out of there.”

“They must have been increasing your dosage in preparation for the party,” Emma said. “It’s probably why you felt it; why the vial didn’t keep your head clearer longer.”

“Whatever it was, the further I got from the house the more anxious I became. I was practically having a full-on panic attack by the time I reached the café.”

“You were in pretty bad shape,” Emma admitted. “Do you remember Ruby at all?”

Regina frowned trying to think. “I don’t…no, I don’t think so.”

Emma chuckled, “I guess you don’t remember trying to bite her then?”

“What?!”

Emma laughed. “Yeah, she came to the cafe to pick you up and you tried fighting her off. The compulsion probably would’ve had you back at the house within a few hours. When she reached for you, you snapped your teeth at her, almost got her arm.”

Regina buried her head in her hands.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure she got her money’s worth out of your sister for it.”

With her hands still tangled in her hair, Regina looked up. “How is it you know my sister anyway?”

Emma held up the keys. “A story for another time. We need to get back on the road.”

Regina groaned. “How much further?”

“About an hour and a half.” She tapped Regina’s legs so she’d move them and she could shut the door. “ _If_ we don’t make any more unplanned stops.”

Regina flipped her off.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When they got to the cabin, it would’ve been easier for Emma to carry Regina inside, but the woman insisted she could walk. She then leaned heavily against the blonde and barely picked up her feet enough to clear the steps. Emma got her inside and laid out on the bed before she took a few minutes to check over the security and the cabin’s overall setup.

Ruby’s people had come through and left a stock of groceries on the porch. It was lacking a few specific things Emma knew she would need but enough for a few days. She could wait until Monday, but then she would have to go out, at least, for a short while. She checked the security cameras and motion lights; everything was in working order. There was a small weapons safe tucked away in the pantry that she needlessly double checked as well. A quick walk around the outside of the house assured her more and she felt comfortable enough to settle in.

She got back to the bed room and saw that as expected Regina hadn’t moved. She set out a small trash can by the bed, left some water, aspirin, and crackers on the nightstand, then pulled out the bag of clothes she’d borrowed from Ruby. It took some effort but she got Regina up and awake enough to change clothes before she crashed back onto the mattress. Emma pulled the sheet and a light blanket up over the brunette and stood back.

She sighed, “Now we wait.”

For the next two days, Emma read, played games she had loaded on her phone, watched a few movies, and tried to enjoy the enforced down time. Even though her phone was very secure, she used it minimally to check in with Ruby. The wolf assured her that the vampires were indeed still actively seeking Regina. There didn’t seem to be any solid leads except that the café’s manager hadn’t shown up to work. Emma felt bad about that, but she truly hadn’t expected Regina’s situation to escalate the way it had. The party/competition was taking place that night and Ruby warned her unnecessarily to keep her head down; she assured her they would.

“Was that Ruby?”

Emma clicked the phone off and turned towards a disheveled and wobbly looking Regina, standing in the doorway. She’d heard her moving around inside the cabin but hadn’t thought she’d do more than drink some water and go back to bed like she’d been doing.

“Yeah,” Emma said, opening the screen door and waiting for Regina to step back before she could step inside. “How are you feeling?”

Regina grunted but took a seat at the kitchen table. She only flinched a little when Emma touched her forehead with the back of her hand. “The bath helped.” Her muscles had started cramping the night before and her bones ached; submerging in the hot water had been divine.

“Feels like maybe the fever broke, too,” Emma said. She poured a small glass of juice and put it on the table, relieved when Regina wrapped her hand around it. “You want to try some soup?”

The cool, crisp juice was like nectar sliding down her throat and while she couldn’t say she felt hungry, Regina thought she might be able to eat. “Sure.”

Emma worked silently for several minutes, working up a quick recipe that Granny had taught her and she’d prepped earlier. Regina nibbled her way through two crackers and the glass of juice. The natural sugars seemed to perk her up a bit. “Where are we?”

Emma grinned at the soup; it had taken longer than she expected. “Florence, Oregon.”

Regina looked at her blankly. “Is that supposed to tell me anything?”

“We’re near the coast, about an hour west of Eugene.” She dished out a small bowl of soup and tore off a chunk of fresh bread to go with it. “This is a small cabin I own.” She set the food on the table in front of Regina. “It’s part safe house, part getaway for me.”

Regina dipped her spoon in the soup, pleasantly surprised when her stomach didn’t flip over at the aroma wafting off of it. “Their party is tonight, isn’t it?”

Emma nodded. “We’ll lay low here for a couple of more days, let the fervor to find you cool down.”

She couldn’t really taste it, but Regina felt a comforting warmth when the soup hit her stomach. She took a few bites, slowly, testing the waters. “Then what?”

Emma traced circles out on the table top with her finger nail. “It probably wouldn’t hurt for you to leave California for a while.” She’d told Regina about the bounties; 25k was still a lot of money. “I’ve got some contacts; if they continue to be a problem, I can take care of it.”

Or Zelena would. Regina’s sister had been furious and Emma hadn’t put it past her to go after Dominic and Gideon herself.

Regina dropped her head. “God, Mother will have a field day with this if she finds out.” She trailed the spoon around in the soup. “How on earth did I end up like this?”

“It could’ve happened to anyone, Regina. You went surfing and had an accident, that’s all.” Emma laid her hand on Regina’s arm. “You did nothing wrong.”

“I let them control me, Emma,” she snapped, immediately wincing afterwards. “I worked at a bar for fuck’s sake. I worked there and told myself it was fine; it was what I wanted. I can assure you that was not in my ten-year plan.” She pushed the soup away and rubbed her temples. “I sold my condo. I completely gave up my life. I don’t even know if I have any bank accounts left or if I turned them all over to them.” She sat up, her eyes stricken. “And those are just the things I _remember_ doing. What about all those times…”

“Don’t,” Emma said. “Don’t go down that road.” Not without professional help.

“I let them feed from me, Emma.” Her voice broke. “And I told myself it was okay.” She shook her head, a single tear rolled down her cheek. “That’s not me; I’m not that person except, you know, apparently I was.”

There were no words of comfort Emma could offer. She knew how bad it could be; she knew some people never recovered from it. The mind fuck. The violation. But she wanted Regina to survive; she needed somebody to. “You escaped, Regina. You got out.”

“Because of you.”

Emma shook her head. “No. You did that.” She held up a hand. “I may have helped, but you got yourself out. Not everyone can do that. Not everyone has that kind of strength.” She swallowed thickly. “You’ve got a second chance. You can do this.”

Regina pushed back from the table and used the chair to steady herself. Emma stood up with her, ready to offer a hand but Regina shook her head. “I’m going to lay back down.”

Emma nodded jerkily. “Yeah, okay.” She scuffed her boot against the floor. “I can, uhm, find out about your bank accounts.” She doubted there’d be anything in them, but she could look.

Regina gave her a wan smile and nodded more for Emma’s sake than her own. “That’d be great, thanks.”

Emma watched her walk towards the bed room, her hand trailing along the back of the couch for support. Some fucking savior she was.


	7. Chapter 7

Sunday was one of the most pleasant days Emma had had in a long time. Regina had woken with an appetite and they’d basically spent the day together. They’d played cards of all things; Regina had beat the hell out of her in poker. They’d spent time sitting on the porch; Emma had let Regina have the comfortable rocking chair while she’d dragged one of the kitchen chairs outside. When she’d stocked the place with furniture, she hadn’t really thought she’d be spending time there with anyone else.

When Regina fell asleep on the couch, eventually slumping over until her head was in Emma’s lap, the blonde allowed herself to pretend their circumstances were different. They weren’t there because Regina’s life was in danger. They were just spending the weekend together, enjoying each other’s company. Honestly, the past few days were the longest time she’d spent in the company of another person in quite a while.

But the headache that was starting to pulse behind Emma’s eyes was a guarantee that their quiet interlude would eventually have to come to an end. It was a reminder that she couldn’t have the perfect little life she was imagining with the brunette. She leaned her head back on the couch, the movie forgotten, and tried to squash down her feelings. The thought of belonging, of having a normal relationship with another person was simply not in the cards for her. Especially not with someone like Regina who deserved so much better than her.

When Monday morning dawned with pouring rain, Emma knew it was the perfect time to test the waters. She _needed_ to go into town.

“You’re just going to leave me here?” Regina asked, gaze darting towards the windows.

“I’ll be back before lunch,” Emma tried to assure her. “No one knows about this place.”

“Ruby’s friends do, don’t they? They stocked it for you?” Regina pointed out. “How do you know they won’t say something?”

The idea that the wolves would share anything with vamps was laughable, but understandably Regina didn’t know that. Emma smirked, “They’re pack. Trust me; they won’t work with the vamps.”

“Pack?”

Right. Vampires were accepted; werewolves were still fantasy. Emma just handed over a phone. “In the event, I don’t come back,” she held up her hand to stall Regina’s protest, “which is highly unlikely, your sister’s number is programmed in as the first contact. Ruby is the second. Call either one; they’ll find you.”

Regina pocketed the phone. “But I should feel safe, after you tell me something like that.”

“Precautionary. And you _should_ feel safe here.” Emma chucked her thumb towards the outdoors. “It’s out there I have some reservations about.”

Regina still didn’t like it; she followed the blonde to the door. “Emma…”

Emma turned on her heel. “Yeah?”

Regina wanted to tell her to be careful. She wanted to tell her not to go, but it was ridiculous. She was a grown woman; she could manage a few hours by herself. “Buy some real conditioner. That 2-in-1 stuff you have in the shower is going to destroy my hair.”

Emma grinned and bowed at the waist. “Yes, my queen.” She closed the screen door between them. “There are weapons in the kitchen closet. Just in case.”

“Just in case?!!”

She laughed at the choked shriek and jogged thru the rain to the car. “I’ll be back by lunch.”

Regina wasn’t standing at the window waiting when Emma returned. She’d forced herself not to, and truth be told, she hadn’t expected the blonde to return for another hour. In an effort to look casual, she continued reading one of the well-read paperbacks she’d found on the shelf. After what she felt was longer than necessary, she finally heard Emma’s booted feet hit the porch. She put the book down and went to open the door in case the blonde’s hands were full.

She was not expecting Emma to pitch forward and practically fall into her arms. “Emma!”

The blonde was soaked through and shivering, but she did manage to right herself and push back far enough for Regina to see her eyes. The usually vibrant green was faded into a pale shadow of their normal color and her lips were practically colorless. The blonde hair hung in wet tangles as she blinked and pushed herself off Regina.

“What the hell happened to you?” Regina cried, gripping onto her forearms before she could withdraw further.

“I’m fine.” Emma gave her head a little shake.

“You’re freezing!” Regina said, rubbing Emma’s arms. “Did you stand out in the rain the entire time you’ve been gone.”

For a moment, Emma leaned into her, smelling the shampoo she said she didn’t like, before jerking backwards and pulling completely away. She stumbled back several steps until her hip met the kitchen table. She groaned and dropped her gaze to the floor. “Just, uh give me a minute…all right?” Her hands were balled into fists at her sides. “You can go back to…whatever you were doing.”

Regina looked at her incredulously. She was about to say something particularly harsh about Emma’s intelligence when the puddles on the floor caught her attention. One was rain dripping off of Emma, and the other was, “Is that blood?” She took a step forward only for Emma to stumble further away from her leaving a trail. “Oh my God, are you bleeding? Are you hurt?”

Emma dragged a chair out from beneath the table and put it between them. “I’m fine, please stay back.”

“What the hell happened out there?” Regina growled at the chair and pushed it out of her way. Now that she was looking, she could see a dark stain growing just above the blonde's hip. “If you want me to leave you alone, I suggest you try looking at me and not the floor.”

“Regina, please,” Emma whimpered as she ducked around the side of the table away from the brunette. She bumped against a chair and groaned, doubling over. “Fuck.”

“Oh, that is it, Miss Swan. You are going to tell me right now what the hell is going on or I-” she grabbed Emma by the arm.

With an inhuman growl, Emma spun to face her. Sharp fangs gleamed in the lights of the kitchen as she roared, “Stay away from me!”

Regina let go of her like she’d been burned. She couldn’t retreat fast enough, her back hitting the wall when Emma took a step towards her. “You’re one of them,” Regina breathed. “You’re a vampire.”

The words halted Emma in her tracks. As quick as the anger and desire had flared, it drained. “I’m sorry.” She backpedaled, bumping into the door, and the couch before she finally sunk to the floor. “I’m so sorry. I would never…” She dropped her head to her hands still muttering.

Slowly, ever so slowly without ever taking her eyes off the blonde, Regina sunk to the floor as well. She suddenly felt more tired than she ever had in her life.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Neither woman could say how long they stayed that way, but the sound of the screen door opening was like a gunshot that had them both scrambling to their feet. The door swung open and a woman strode in like she owned the place. Her attention was immediately taken by Emma, blocking her way, snarling.

The woman with a cascade of shockingly red hair laughed and pushed Emma back with one hand. “Easy Savior or Mummy won’t let you have any snacks before bedtime.”

Emma straightened, blinking down at the two dark plastic bags of blood the woman had shoved into her hands.

“Go on,” the woman said. “Eat those before you keel over. You reek of weakness.”

A chair scraped across the floor and both women looked towards the corner, towards Regina, who looked dumbfounded. “Zelena?”

“Hello, sister, dear!” She flung her hair back behind her shoulder. “Miss me?”

“What…what are you doing here?”

Zelena waved her off. “We’ll get to that in a second. Why don’t you put the kettle on and we’ll have a cup of tea while Emma has a lie down?” She looked pointedly at Emma. “Go on then. You’re no good to any of us in this condition."

Emma blanched but with a guilty look at Regina ducked back towards the back of the house.

Because her sister was and always had been a force of nature, Regina pulled out the kettle and began gathering mugs for tea. It was better than trying to actually think about her life. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Zelena shucked her coat and threw it carelessly over the couch. She pulled a small bag from one of the pockets and sauntered back towards the kitchen. She plunked the bag with a bottle of conditioner down on the table and made herself at home.

“Wrapped your head around it all yet?” She happily accepted the tea Regina sat on the table and held it. “Go on, then; ask us a question. I’m sure you have loads.”

Regina sank onto one of the chairs, her own mug cradled between her hands. “Emma is a vampire.”

Zelena pouted. “Hmmm, I hope the vamps you shacked up with didn’t take away your intelligence. That wasn’t even a question.”

“Zelena!”

“Oops.” Blue eyes widened over the rim of the mug. “Too soon?” She took a sip of her tea, ignoring her sister’s glare. After a moment, she sighed, “Yes, Emma Swan is a vampire. She’s been one years before she ever met you.”

“She said she hated vampires!” Regina protested.

“And she has good reason.” Zelena glanced towards the back where Emma had disappeared. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this; her secret to tell and all that,” she shrugged, “but I know she won’t. So. About ten years ago, she was in a bad way, living out of her car that sort of thing. She found out about a blood bar.” She glanced at Regina to see if she knew what she was talking about; the confused look confirmed she didn’t. Zelena explained, “Vamps could come to the bar, order a ‘drink’, and the bartender goes back to the back and taps the vein of the lucky winner. Emma started going once a week. Not a bad gig, get fed, hang around the back of the bar for a night, donate some blood and make some money.

“Well, it turns out that some vamps would prefer to have the source. Once they’d had Emma’s blood a few times, they knew her scent and she was easy enough to track down.” She set her mug down and leaned back. “Unlike your accommodations, the vamps that got hold of Emma kept her practically mindless. She was their maid, their entertainment, their food source; she was their prisoner in all senses of the word.”

Zelena who was never serious about anything had completely lost her tone of amusement; Regina was horrified. “How long?”

“They kept her like that for over a year.”

“Oh god,” Regina breathed.

“And then, without her consent, they turned her.”

“What?”

Zelena tossed her hair back over her shoulder. “Yes, idiots that they were, they thought Emma would be grateful to them or maybe even beholden for some reason.” She rolled her eyes. “Instead, she fled that night only to return a week later and kill every vamp in the house. She even managed to free their new thrall, some pretty little thing that had taken Emma’s place as the house party favor. Turns out, Miss Pretty Little Thing came from a very wealthy family that insisted on paying Emma for saving her.” She gestured with her hand. “Ta-da, Savior Investigations was born.”

Regina rubbed her temples. “I had no idea.”

“Well, why would you?” Zelena stood up and began going through the kitchen cabinets. “I mean, I stayed away for _years_ to try and protect you from this life, but then you go and fall right into it. A-ha!” She pulled a bottle of liquor from the corner cabinet. “I knew Emma would have a stash.”

Regina was frowning as she went over what Zelena said, “Wait, what? You tried to _protect_ me? From what?”

“Oh, haven’t you figured it out yet?” Zelena filled two glass tumblers with smoky brown liquid. She slid one onto the table in front of Regina, knowing she’d need it. “I’m a vampire, too.” She saluted the stunned look on her sister’s face. “Cheers.”


	8. Chapter 8

A few hours later, Emma emerged from the back. Regina was lying on the couch with a compress of some sort over her eyes and appeared to be asleep. Zelena was sitting at the table, thumbing over the screen on her phone.

“Is she all right?” Emma asked, indicating Regina.

Zelena put her phone down and faked her sweetest voice, “Oh hey, Zelena, nice to see you, thanks for the save. Really glad you came along when you did. Might not have made it if you hadn’t.”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Might not have gotten jumped at all if you hadn’t come along.”

“You get stabbed in a fight and somehow that’s my fault?” Zelena asked.

An arm appeared over the back of the couch and Regina sat up. “You got stabbed?!”

Zelena waved Emma towards Regina. “I’ve already had my turn playing twenty questions with her.”

Emma cautiously approached the couch. “Hi.” When Regina continued to glare at her, she dared circle around. “I, uhm, guess you might have some questions for me?”

Regina tossed the damp rag off her lap as she swung her legs off the couch to face Emma. “Vampires tend to have a scent about them. You don’t. Why?”

“I take blockers,” Emma admitted. “Helps me move around humans more easily.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

"About the blockers-?"

"That you're a vampire!"

Emma rubbed the back of her neck. “I needed you to trust me long enough to keep you safe. I didn’t think you would if you knew… _that_ about me.”

Honestly, a part of Regina agreed. There was no way in hell she would have ever…and then where would she be right now? “That doesn’t let you off the hook for Sunday. You could have told me then.” She frowned. “Wait, is that why you had a headache?”

“You knew I had a headache?” Emma was surprised she’d noticed.

“It was kind of hard to miss with all the squinting and wincing and so not my point.”

Emma grimaced. “Sorry, I thought about telling you but…I didn’t want to ruin what we had going. It was probably one of the nicer days I’ve had in a while.”

Zelena made a noise of disgust and scraped her chair against the floor noisily as she got up. “For fuck’s sake, the two of you had this cabin all to yourselves. If you had actually gotten your acts together and just boned, this awkward conversation could, at least, be entertaining.”

Regina and Emma both glared at her, but it had zero effect on the redhead.

“But since it’s boring as hell, let’s move on, shall we?” She stood at the back of the couch. “Why did you say your stabbing was my fault, Savior?”

“Who stabbed you?” Regina asked before she could answer. “Are you all right?”

“Two vamps jumped me, but I’m good now. Feeding and sleep helped me heal up.” She gave Regina a shy smile, pleased more than she could say that the brunette cared. Unlike her sister… “The only reason those two vamps could have possibly been in that small town was because you were there; they followed you and then just happened to spot me.”

“For the record, I can think of a dozen reasons why they may have been there, but moving on,” Zelena argued, unwilling to simply let it go by without comment. “They did look familiar; I may have seen them at the party.”

“The party?” Regina repeated then blinked as Emma sank back against her chair, hands over her face. “You went to… _the_ party. The one where I would have been _auctioned_ off?”

“Of course.” Zelena patted Regina’s head. “No one is going to hurt my lil sis but me.” Regina swatted her hand away. “I considered killing them both that night but they looked so miserable when they didn’t win, I thought I’d let them stew awhile.”

“Damn it, Zelena! Those two hunters followed you all the way from the party to here!” Emma shot up from the couch. “I told you to let me handle it.”

“I did let you handle it. You couldn’t be there so I went.” Zelena shrugged. “It’s not like they know who I am.”

“Of course, they know who you are!” Regina got to her feet too. “They knew to cut off my contact with you early on. I probably told them exactly who you were!”

Zelena started to argue, but Emma held up her hand then pointed one finger at the phone clutched in Zelena’s hand. “Do you have your wi-fi turned on?”

The redhead scoffed, “Yeah, I have my hotspot on. It’s not like you have any sort of signal out here.”

“We need to leave. Now.” Emma held her hand out towards Regina who took it without a second thought. “Zelena, grab your keys. Let’s go.”

They were off the porch and halfway to Zelena’s car when Emma stopped them. The motion sensor lights should have already come on and they hadn’t. The lightest scent of tobacco hinted the air. She tucked Regina between her and Zelena. “Come on out. I know you’re there.”

Slowly, five figures emerged from the shadows, two coming from behind Zelena’s car. Gideon and Dominic moved closer. “Hello, Regina. We’ve come to take you home.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“So, _you’re_ the Savior?” Gideon sneered. He shook a finger at Emma. “I’ve heard about you. If we bring you to the right people, we can make up some of the money we lost out on with Regina.”

Zelena looked questioningly at the blonde; Emma shrugged. First she’d heard of it.

Dominic popped his knuckles. “You’ve stolen away quite a few boys and girls that didn’t belong to you.”

“People don’t _belong_ to anyone,” Emma growled. “A concept you should really learn to embrace.”

“Now see that’s where you’re wrong,” Gideon smirked, “and I’m going to prove it to you. Regina,” he took his attention off the blonde, “it’s time to come home.”

Zelena pressed close to her sister’s back. “She’s not going anywhere with the likes of you.”

Emma shifted her weight to better block the brunette. “Regina, why don’t you go back inside while Z and I talk to these two assholes.”

“Why? Am I somehow going to be safer behind a door?” Regina hissed in Emma’s ear. She did not like this, not one bit. Five against two essentially, since she was of no use in a supernatural fight. And she had to admit, seeing Gideon again in the moonlight reminded her just how persuasive he had always been.

“ _Regina_.” Gideon kept his formidable focus on her. “Listen to me.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Emma hissed.

“Come home, Regina,” Gideon repeated. “Come with us now and we’ll leave your friend and sister alive.”

Even with their blood out of her system, Regina couldn’t deny that she felt the pull of his command. She swallowed the whimper in her throat and dug her nails into Emma’s arm. “Tell me you have a plan.”

“Working on it,” Emma muttered, keeping her eye on the hired muscle as they spread out in a half-circle.

“It’s easy enough,” Zelena said, grabbing her sister’s hand. “Emma, you take the three on the left; I’ll take the two on the right. Break their necks or stake through the heart, right?”

“Why do I get three and you get two?” Emma asked, stalling as she tried to figure out how to get Regina out of harm’s way.

“Because, _I’m_ paying _you_ , Savior,” Zelena snarled back. “You’re the hired help around here not me.”

Dominic balled his hands into fists. “Enough of this.”

“I agree,” Gideon said. “Regina. Now. Do as I say.” Emma scoffed loud enough for him to hear. His lip curled back in a snarl. “Regina, go to Dominic _now_.”

Regina dropped her head to Emma’s shoulder and swallowed thickly, “Gideon, promise me, you’ll let them go.”

Emma almost spun around to face her, but caught herself at the last second when one of the thugs moved closer. “Regina, no!”

She squeezed Emma’s shoulder and straightened, stepping away, but not yet towards Gideon. “Promise me.”

Emma tried to grab for her and Zelena stopped her. “Let her go.” She looked sick to her stomach. “Live to fight another day, Savior.”

Gideon gave what he probably thought was a comforting smile but looked more like a shark showing its teeth. “I promise.” He gestured for her. “Go to Dominic, Regina. He’ll take care of you.”

“Regina, no!”

Regina bowed her head and slowly walked towards Dominic. The beefed-up vamp pulled her into his side as soon as she was close. He kissed the crown of her head. “Good girl.”

Emma snarled; Gideon laughed, “And now Savior, it’s time for you to learn some manners.”

Emma saw Regina’s head turn towards her as Dominic led her away, and then she was in an all-out fight. The three hired thugs descended; two charged at Emma while the third attacked Zelena. She heard the redhead swear, but she was too busy with her own problems to try and help. She threw elbows and punches, managed to kick out a knee, and as he collapsed, she slammed a stake through the chest of the second guy. Then Gideon’s fist collided with the side of her head, knocking her to the ground. Kicks began as soon as she hit the ground.

She heard Zelena yell then the unmistakable crunch of bone; the body of a vamp landed in the dirt. Emma used the distraction to grab hold of the next kick aimed at her midsection; she pushed the vamp off balance. As soon as he hit the ground, she scrambled towards him, intending to break his neck. “Zelena, go! Save Regina!”

The vamp grappled with Emma and rolled them over so he was on top. Emma knew he’d think it was a position of dominance, but she had him right where she wanted him. As he reached for her neck, she reached for the stake in her boot. Then before she could do anything, pale hands wrapped around his neck and snapped it. The body slumped against her as Zelena stood over them.

“Z!” Emma pushed the body off and scrambled to her feet. “What the hell-”

“I slipped Regina a stake before she wandered off,” Zelena said, pushing hair out of her face. “If she’s any sister of mine, she’s already killed Dominic.” She scanned the dark woods. “It’s Gideon we have to worry about now. I’ve lost track of him.”

Her earlier attitude made more sense now but Gideon was still a very real threat. “Fuck.” She took off in the direction she’d last seen Regina. They didn’t have to go far.

They found Gideon kneeling over Dominic’s body; a stake was sticking out of Dom’s chest. Emma approached cautiously, scanning for any signs of Regina and seeing none. She gestured for Zelena to keep going, to find her sister. “Gideon, where is she?”

He cradled Dominic’s head against his lap. He brushed the darker man’s hair back. “She kept her promise.” He chuckled darkly. “She swore that one day she’d kill him.”

Emma felt a chill run up her spine. “What are you talking about?”

Gideon raised his dark, mocking eyes to hers. “There were a few times in the beginning when she was still…lucid.” He smirked. “Before we gained enough traction in Regina’s mind, before we got her _broken_ in.” He reveled in Emma’s flinch. “Oh, she was _so_ enticing, so exquisite. Every time she managed to slip our control; she’d promise that one day she would kill us. Because you see, she knew she was losing. She _knew_ we were going to do-”

Emma lunged across Dominic’s body; Gideon raised a knife he’d been concealing, but Emma twisted out of the way, landing behind him. She grabbed his head, bounced off her toes, and twisted his neck so far around she almost pulled his head off. The snap of his neck was music to her ears but not nearly satisfying enough. Her blood was up. She stood panting over his body, wanting more. She’d wanted him to suffer; she wanted… 

She tasted blood in the air. It was heavy, too much of it, and there was only one human in the vicinity that it could be coming from. “Regina?” She spun on the spot, trying to narrow down the scent trail. “REGINA!”

She lurched into the woods, following the scent. When it became overwhelming to the point of dizzying her, she stopped and looked around. “REGINA?” There was a grunt to her right and she whirled to find the brunette on the ground, tucked up behind a tree. “Regina!”

Emma dropped to her knees at Regina’s side, trying to gently lay her down. “Zelena!” She called for the sister even as she took in the carnage in front of her. Regina’s entire front was covered in blood and it was steadily pumping out. Widened brown eyes locked on hers.

“Em-ma? Gideon…dead?”

Emma nodded fervently. “Yeah, yeah he’s dead. So is Dominic. You got him. Just like you said you would.” She put her hand over the ragged wound and applied pressure. Regina groaned. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I know it hurts, but you’re going to be fine.”

“Bloody hell!” Zelena dropped down next to her sister. “Oh sis, what happened?”

“Gideon…had knife.”

Emma looked up. “Z, you have to go get your car. We need to get her out of here; we need to get her to a hospital.”

“The nearest hospital is more than an hour away,” she said quietly, stroking her sister’s face. “She’ll never make it.”

“We can’t just let her die!” Emma cried.

“We can if that’s her choice."

Emma blinked. "What?"

Zelena gripped Regina’s hand and leaned down close to her face. “You have a choice, lil sis.” A tear rolled down her cheek when Regina shook her head in disbelief. “I will let you go, if that’s what you want. Or,” she swallowed hard, “we can make you like us.”

Emma slumped back onto her heels, stunned. “Z…no.”

“It’s not fair that it’s come down to this,” Zelena said, ignoring the blonde and holding her sister’s frightened gaze. “These are horrible choices, but at least, it’s your choice, Regina. And you have to make it quick.”

“Z, you know what kind of life we have…”

“But it _is_ life,” Zelena insisted. She’d never had as much trouble accepting it as Emma had, but then the choice had not been completely taken from her like Emma’s had. Frankly, she thought Regina would adapt rather well.

Regina broke away from her sister’s gaze. The pain was oddly subsiding, but it was getting harder to breathe. And she was cold, a cold that she knew had nothing to do with the damp ground she was lying on. She looked at Emma and found the blonde watching her with tears rolling down her face. “I don’t want…to die.”

“You heard her, Savior,” Zelena snapped. “Give her your blood.”

“Me?!”

“It’d be weird if I do it,” the redhead sneered. “I’m her sister.”

“Can you two…argue some other time?” Regina coughed. It was getting harder to keep her eyes open. Maybe she should change her mind. Death seemed peaceful compared to listening to these two argue for the next however many years.

“Regina?” Emma shook her back to awareness. “Are you sure?”

“For god’s sake just do it before we lose her!”

Regina saw Emma’s wrist was already bleeding; she managed a slight nod.

“I don’t want to watch this,” Zelena said, turning away from the sight of her sister drinking from the blonde. She’d never sired anyone herself and had no desire to watch it being done, especially to her sister. After a minute, she heard Emma grunt and risked taking a look back. The blonde had gone very pale and Regina was still clamped onto her wrist. “Okay, I think that’s enough.”

Emma put her free hand down to the ground to steady herself, but Regina just glared at Zelena over Emma’s wrist and continued feeding. “Regina!” She sighed. “Fine. The hard way it is.” With a well-placed boot, she shoved Emma over, tearing her arm away from Regina. “You’re going to have to find another chew toy, sis.”

Regina frowned at her; the spell broken. “Zelena?” She rolled her head to the side and watched Emma try to get up only to slump back down to the ground. “Emma?”

“Questions later,” Emma managed, flopping over onto her back. “Rest now.”

Regina _was_ incredibly tired, but at least her chest wasn’t hurting anymore. It just felt like an elephant was sitting on it. “Sleep sounds good.”

Within seconds, Zelena found herself standing over two passed out women. “Emma?” She knew from personal experience Regina would be out of commission for a few days. She nudged the blonde with her boot. “Emma, get up.” When she got no response, she threw her hands in the air. “I am not dragging both of you to my car!” She looked around at nothing but the darkened woods surrounding them. “Bloody hell.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Epilogue**

**3 months later**

“How can you possibly eat that?”

Emma looked up from her grilled cheese sandwich and swallowed down the huge bite she’d just taken. She wiped her mouth with a napkin, grinning at Regina’s sneer of disgust. “There’s an adjustment period, but you’ll get there.”

It had taken Regina a month before she was able to keep coffee down. “Emma, I wouldn’t have eaten that greasy monstrosity even before I had changes to my diet.”

“But it tastes sooo good,” Emma said. “And you’ve got to have variety!”

Regina sipped her coffee. She had to have blood every few days, but she was starting to miss eating real food as well. Zelena and Emma had both assured her that she’d get there…eventually.

After the fight at the cabin, Zelena had dragged both their asses back to civilization. With Ruby’s grudging help, she’d gotten them back to Emma’s condo. While they recovered, Zelena had gotten to work on getting the cabin site cleaned up. She’d then used some of her and Ruby’s dubious connections to get all of Gideon and Dominic’s assets transferred into Regina’s name. When she’d sold their beachfront property, she’d almost gotten back all of the money they’d stolen from her accounts. If she had sold the bar, she would’ve made a profit.

“Is that him?” Regina asked quietly, sipping her coffee.

Emma didn’t usually take Regina with her when she did surveillance, but she wasn’t trying to do a hard follow today. She casually looked up and saw their target talking on his phone outside a very expensive boutique store. “That’s him.”

“I looked into his financials; he’s pretty clean,” Regina said averting her gaze before she got caught staring.

Savior Investigations had expanded. It now included both Mills women as its full-time law component, and Ruby’s pack was tangentially signed on as investigators and muscle back-up when needed. Their firm specialized in cases with the extra component of the supernatural, but they also did a lot of pro bono work in domestic women cases whether it was single mothers, abuse victims, or even runaways. And while some of those cases were satisfying when they were able to help, everyone in the firm truly enjoyed taking down the vampire cases.

“The girl’s parents found messages from him the day before she disappeared,” Emma said. “I’ve seen him at some of the parties before. He always has a different piece of arm candy.”

“Anything on the forums?” Regina asked, watching as he walked to the next store.

“He’s active but hasn’t posted anything particularly stupid yet.” Emma signaled their waiter. “If he sticks to his pattern, he’ll take in a show this evening. I’ll get the tracker on his car tonight.”

Regina was proud of herself when she recognized a member of the wolf pack trailing behind their target as he left the strip of overpriced stores. She was new to the surveillance aspect of an investigation, but as Emma and Zelena had both told her, she definitely had insider experience. The first party she’d attended after the deaths of Dom and Gideon had barely raised any eyebrows. The rather cliquish paranormal society had easily gauged that she was now one of them. She hadn’t enjoyed their company, but it turned out her mother’s incessant societal training growing up made it particularly easy for her to blend in.

As they left the café, headed in the opposite direction of the target, Emma asked, “Are you still doing the rebrand of the bar next weekend?”

“ _We_ are still doing it, yes,” she said as she looped her arm through Emma’s. “Dominic’s on the Water will be no more.” She didn’t try to hide the disgust in her voice. There was still a lot there to unpack for her; attending therapy twice a week had barely scratched the surface so far. “Wicked Waters will open its doors as a neutral ground for tourists and locals alike.”

“Locals,” Emma laughed. “Did Ruby agree to actually attend?”

“She’ll be behind the bar,” Regina smirked. “And her pack has promised to be on their best behavior.”

“One day you are really going to have to tell me how you got her to agree to that.”

Regina shrugged. “She lost the bet.”

“Uh-huh, and exactly what kind of wager was this?” Emma asked, looking over the top of the car. “Or do I want to know?”

“Oh, Miss Swan,” she said leaning on the car’s roof, “you already know better than to try and keep up with me on the waves.” She loved the way Emma gulped at the thought. “Ruby needed to be taught a lesson.”

Emma remembered quite well when she’d tried for a second time to out surf Regina. Technically, she’d lost their friendly competition, but the things Regina had done to her that night were seared into her brain as one of the best nights of her life. She frowned, “Wait, you and Ruby weren’t playing for the same stakes we did, were you?”

“Of course not,” Regina assured her then smirked, “but if you want to try your luck again, I’d be happy to oblige.”

Emma laughed at the wink Regina tried to give her before she slid inside the car and out of sight. “Ms Mills,” she settled behind the steering wheel, “I think I’m in need of another lesson.”

“Take us home, Emma.”

“Yes, my Queen.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed!


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